30 pages
5 m, 5 w, 9 or more flexible
From the short story "The Devil and Daniel Webster" by Stephen Vincent Benet. Poor Jake Stone is a total loser. When he finally loses the worst job he's ever had, he makes the claim that he would do anything to be a winner. Soon he meets Lucy, a seemingly attractive, professional woman who can make a special deal with him: she gives Jake wisdom, and he signs away his soul. Rather than waste his opportunity, Jake becomes a kind and intelligent person who gives much to the world. As the time to relinquish his soul draws near, he seeks out the counsel of Daniell...
26 pages
5 m, 4 w, and optional 1 flexible
A small church is eagerly awaiting the arrival of the new and as yet unseen pastor. But he’s arrived too early and instead of meeting the welcoming committee, Rev. Goode encounters a seemingly homeless man. The pastor immediately offers to help him, surprising the stranger who says he never before received that kind of consideration from the church members. Since the pastor is more interested in finding out what type of church he inherited than in making a good first impression, he switches place with the other man so he can observe firsthand how the church t...
36 pages
3 m, 3 w
Amy Westmond and her husband Floyd, along with his brother and father who comprise a country music group, return to Amy’s home church. They reminisce and catch up on the gossip with Marie, the church’s housekeeper, and Betty, the choir director, who inspired Amy earlier but now seems to have somewhat of an attitude. The Westmonds are told that a search committee will be there for the evening hymn-sing to try to lure the church’s beloved pastor away. With the unseen organist who communicates through charades, they form a plan—a fake pastor and fake service! Ll...
64 pages
Widely flexible cast, from 12 to 40+
You ever have a "Big Day"? We all have. Not quite like this group, however. Take the case of Butch and Murph, who decide to hold up a bank only to find that Murph is the "one millionth customer!" amid a flurry of confetti. Or little Phoebe, whose class assignment was to write a 500-word essay on her "Big Day" in which she tells of her birthday party where the dog set the couch on fire. We see the invention of the wheel and what it was REALLY for. And then there's Lucille, who gets her first driving lesson from her father ... the church pie sale being only one...
24 pages
3 m, 3 w
It's a routine Sunday morning biblical radio discussion on the second coming of Christ ... until the radio audience confuses the broadcast with the real second coming! Soon, huge crowds of listeners overreact by flocking to the cemetery to be ready to wave at their love ones as the dead in Christ arise to go to heaven. The Mayor, who has declared a citywide emergency to deal with the crisis, joins the radio broadcast to help bring order out of chaos. After listening to the panel discuss the issue, the Mayor is converted on the air. She now realizes that most ...
46 pages
7 m, 5 w, 2 boys, 2 girls
Here is a lighthearted comedy about lonely millionaire Jonathan Bingsley whose life is turned upside down when, against his better judgment, he allows six energetic orphans to stay at his home. To complicate matters his long-time maid and butler disappear under mysterious circumstances. Jonathan's sister, Elizabeth, convinces him to use her lazy son and his wife as replacements with disastrous (and hilarious!) results. They do a terrible job keeping house and let the children run wild. So Jonathan is forced to hire questionable substitutes, who create chaos o...